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BandAmericanaFolk

Claudia Nygaard's long legs hang over both sides of that same fence between country and folk music that Guy Clark and John Prine have long straddled. Currently labeled "Americana" music, her sound is acoustic, and her songs are crafted in the storytelling tradition.

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Biography

Claudia Nygaard is a performing songwriter with a refreshingly articulate point of view. Her writing has won her many awards including the 2004 Kerrville Folk Festival Songwriting Competition.

Claudia's voice is a sensual alto, praised for it's "power and resonance" by Nashville music critic Robert K. Oermann of Music Row Magazine, and for its "full-texture" by Gene Harbrecht of the Orange County Register in California. She is also a strong rhythm guitarist with endorsements from Tacoma Guitars, Intellitouch Tuners, and D'Aquisto Strings.

As a performer, a midwest booking agent once described Claudia Nygaard as "a female Will Rogers without the rope". He has not been alone to notice her quick wit & relaxed stage presence. On the west coast, Paul Moser found her delightful introductions to her songs to be as captivating as the songs themselves. He wrote in Music Connection Magazine, "completely at ease on stage, Claudia had fun with her audience, telling stories and adding personal glimpses into her life..."

Other Info

Cover band:

No

Record Label:

Bet The Ranch Records

Band Website

Lyrics

Big Country

Written By: Claudia Nygaard

WE HAD NAMES LIKE SEAN AND COLLEEN WHEN WE REACHED THE HARBORAS QUICK TO WINK AS FIGHT, WITH A TWINKLE IN OUR EYESAND WE PLANTED POTATOES AND ROLLED UP OUR SLEEVESWASHED CLOTHES AND BUILT FACTORIES, AND HUNG ONTO A DREAM THAT WOULDN'T DIE

WE HAD NAMES LIKE KATRINA AND OLE WHEN WE CROSSED THE PRAIRIESWE WERE STRONG AND STERN, AND NO STRANGER TO THE WIND AND SNOWAND THAT OLD BLUE NORTHERN, SHE BLEW AND SHE BLEWBUT WE PULLED OUR COATS TIGHTER, SAID WE'RE TOUGHER THAN YOUWE'LL HANG ON, NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU BLOW

WE’VE GOT A BIG COUNTRY, THAT HOLDS SO MANY DREAMS A BIG COUNTRY, AND MORE IN COMMON THAN IT SEEMS WE ALL LOVE AND HOPE AND KNOW WHAT FREEDOM MEANS WE SHARE A BIG COUNTRY, THAT HOLDS SO MANY DREAMS

WE HAD NAMES LIKE JUAN AND MARIA WHEN WE CROSSED THE RIVERWITH A DREAM OF MANÃNA IN A PLACE WHERE THE CORN COULD GROWWE TOOK THE JOBS WITH THE SMALLEST OF PAYTHE ONLY ONES THE GRINGO WOULD GIVE AWAYAND HUNG ON TO A DREAM THAT GREW SO SLOW

WE HAD NAMES LIKE RACHEL AND REUBEN, AND YOKO AND LEESITTING BULL, AND SACAJAWEA, MOHAMMED AND FATIMA , AND WEARE EVERY COLOR AND FAITH UNDERNEATH THE SUNBUT SOMEHOW WE’VE ALL COME TOGETHER AS ONEAND IF WE CAN MAKE IT WORK IN THE U.S.A.THEN MAYBE THE WHOLE WORLD COULD LIVE IN PEACE SOMEDAY

WE’VE GOT A BIG COUNTRY, THAT HOLDS SO MANY DREAMS A BIG COUNTRY, AND MORE IN COMMON THAN IT SEEMS WE ALL LOVE AND HOPE AND KNOW WHAT FREEDOM MEANS WE SHARE A BIG COUNTRY, THAT HOLDS SO MANY DREAMS WE SHARE A BIG COUNTRY, THAT HOLDS SO MANY DREAMS

Georgia Boy

Written By: Claudia Nygaard

MAGNOLIAS ARE ALWAYS IN BLOOM

GARDENIAS SCENT UP THE ROOM

GIVING OFF THAT SWEET PERFUME

WHEN YOU LOVE A GEORGIA BOY

SWEET PEACHES, FALL FROM THE TREE

THEY CAN’T HELP IT, THEY’RE JUST LIKE ME

CLOSER TO HIM’S WHERE YOU WANT TO BE

WHEN YOU LOVE A GEORGIA BOY

YOU THINK YOU KNOW ALL ABOUT LOVE

BUT YOU NEVER FELT LIKE THIS

YOU PRAY TO THE HEAVENS ABOVE

AND ALL YOUR PRAYERS ARE ANSWERED IN JUST ONE KISS

TIME MOVES SLOWLY, YOU DO TOO

WAITING TILL HE’S CLOSE TO YOU

IF HE ASKS YOU’LL SAY “I DO”

WHEN YOU LOVE A GEORGIA BOY

YOU THINK YOU KNOW ALL ABOUT LOVE

BUT YOU NEVER FELT LIKE THIS

YOU PRAY TO THE HEAVENS ABOVE

AND ALL YOUR PRAYERS ARE ANSWERED IN JUST ONE KISS

TIME MOVES SLOWLY, YOU DO TOO

WAITING TILL HE’S CLOSE TO YOU

IF HE ASKS YOU’LL SAY “I DO”

WHEN YOU LOVE A GEORGIA BOY

WHEN YOU LOVE A GEORGIA BOY

WHEN YOU LOVE A GEORGIA BOY

I Wanna Look Good In Your Memory

Written By: Claudia Nygaard

I PUT MY MAKEUP ON JUST RIGHTCHOOSE A SKIRT THAT FIT'S REAL TIGHTTHIS WILL BE YOUR LAST FIGHT WITH MEI WANT TO LOOK GOOD IN YOUR MEMORY

HOW DO YOU LIKE MY HAIR THIS WAYWELL IT'S THE FIRST THING YOU'VE LIKED IN DAYSMY LAST ANGRY WORDS WILL BEI WANT TO LOOK GOOD IN YOUR MEMORY

CHORUS: I'M WEARIN MY "COME HERE BABY" HIGH HEELED SHOES I REMEMBER WHAT THEY DO TO YOU TONIGHT WHEN YOU CLOSE YOUR EYES, I WANT YOU TO FANTASIZE THAT YOU'RE STILL HOLDIN ME, I WANNA LOOK GOOD IN YOUR MEMORY

SO YOU WANT TO KISS OUR LOVE GOODBYEWELL KISS ME THEN, I WONT CRYTEARS MIGHT SMEAR MY EYES YOU SEEAND I WANT TO LOOK GOOD IN YOUR MEMORY

CHORUS: I'M WEARIN MY "COME HERE BABY" HIGH HEELED SHOES I REMEMBER WHAT THEY DO TO YOU TONIGHT WHEN YOU CLOSE YOUR EYES, I WANT YOU TO FANTASIZE THAT YOU'RE STILL HOLDIN ME, I WANNA LOOK GOOD IN YOUR MEMORY

Discography

While it was not released in the United States, Nygaard's last recording, "Somewhere Else To Go", received critical praise and extensive airplay overseas. Released by European record label Round Tower Music, the first single "I've Already Seen This Movie" climbed to the #4 position on the EMS (European Media Services) chart. It was also chosen the #1 Song Of The Summer by the Country Roads Radio Show in Marseilles, France. The follow up single "I Don't Need A Man, (I just Want One)" went to #11 on the EMS chart, while yet another song from the CD "What Her Girlfriends Say", climbed to the #9 position in Spain. The CD has also gathered wonderful reviews, both in North America and in several European music magazines including Country Music Roundup, Country Music International, and Southern Country. Richard Kirk of Country Music Round-up Magazine, chose Claudia's last CD as one of the top 12 recordings of the year for 2001. The magazine also chose Claudia for the cover and feature interview of the December issue.

She is currently in the studio working on her next release.

Set List

Claudia's sets are a delightful mix of humour and heartfelt original songs. "J.C.," the song that won Claudia the 2004 Kerrville Music Festival "New Folk" songwriting competition, explores racisim through the eyes of a child. In "Edna" the listener feels a protective tenderness for the mentally challenged woman with "hugs that don't let go". The steamy lyric of "What Her Girlfriends Say" paints a clear picture of the sensual desire a young woman feels for a working class man her girlfriends don't approve of. Both the title cut of her CD "Somewhere Else To Go", and "God Knows", pull the listener into that aching loneliness created by a love gone bad. Her music is also rampant with irreverent humor. In "I Don't Need A Man" (I Just Want One), and "Dumped By A Dweeb", Claudia delightfully pokes fun at the gender gap. She also occasionally throws in an "off the wall" cover song.